Meth is used all over the country, in urban and rural areas by people of all socioeconomic classes. Some people initially take the drug to cope with working long hours—they hear that it will boost their energy and productivity. It produces an intense euphoria and may also be used for weight loss and sexual endurance.
How many people use meth? According to a 2017 study, an estimated 14.7 million people in the United States—5.4 percent of Americans twelve or older—have tried it at least once. A study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reports that about 1.9 million (0.7 percent) had used it in the past year (2018) and 1 million (0.4 percent) in the month prior to the survey. Those percentages show an increase from 2005, when fewer than 5 percent of Americans had tried it, but they haven’t varied much since 2015.
